Four years of college will change you

February 7th, 2013 | Brandon Hoffman

Being at the cusp of graduation, I have a much different perspective of Evangel than I did my freshman year. I have engaged in numerous activities, and if there is one thing I can be certain about, it’s this: Four years of college will change you.

I came here a wide-eyed freshman, excited to step into the first milestone of my destiny. My pride swelled at the notion of being a collegiate athlete; competing in a higher level of cross country and track. I was certain I would smoke the competition in such events as the 800 meter dash or the mile. I also came in completely certain I would leave in four years as a virtuous Intercultural Studies major completely confident about being a missionary.

However, now that I reflect on my past, I see that many of my ideals and plans didn’t pan out the way that I expected them to.

Half way through my sophomore year, things started to change.

My major didn’t seem challenging to me personally, and I wasn’t entirely sure it was going to open the doors I originally thought it would. My cross country and track career were stagnating, sending me on a spiral of mediocrity.

Initially, I felt as though I was hitting the ceiling of my capacity. I was approaching my limits and doomed to succumb to them much sooner than I expected.

Yet, as my doubts reached a climax, God seemed to have other plans for me. I was contacted by Bernie Dana, the department chair of the Business Department, and encouraged to pursue a career in business. This heavily conflicted with my self-righteous worldview that said a purer form of ministry was superior to the work of greedy capitalists.

At the same time, a quiet yet exceptionally talented teammate of mine encouraged me to try competing in a different style of training that also was conflicting with the vision I had for myself.

I was suddenly being stretched and challenged beyond anything I ever expected. My plans and goals didn’t exactly come to the head I expected, but I couldn’t be happier with my circumstances.

I am the chief executive officer over the Student Investment Group, a club that handles nearly $100,000 of investments for an endowed scholarship fund, and I work as an accounting tutor. I run nearly 75-86 miles a week at paces I didn’t think I could sustain for a few hundred feet let alone a 13 mile race. I am excited to recount my experiences through this blog and share what Evangel has meant to me, and how God has sustained me in difficult and rewarding circumstances.

About Evangel

Evangel is an accredited, liberal arts university with more than 100 academic programs on the cutting edge of today's professional fields. Our commitment to the integration of faith, learning and life attracts students from a wide variety of Christian denominational backgrounds who have a strong commitment to academics with a desire to combine their Christian faith with every aspect of their lives.